Hold That Thought
by 8cheshirekat
Summary: [SPD]oneshot Bridge comes back to SPD base after five years and helps Sky confront a haunting memory.


**a/n**: this is a follow-up with "Meet My Roommate". sky and bridge are adults... or at least are past the point of young guns. it's suposed to be reflection on the past.

* * *

Bridge was sitting at a computer, his fingers drumming away at the computer. If you'd known Bridge five years prior, you would think he wasn't really Bridge. He was still a fast-talking, hyperactive, and sometimes unheard scientist who worked out in the feild. The newest Rangers would need the newest gear, so Bridge and Boom had decided to become feild workers, where they could run tests on Kat's newest stuff.

Bridge was now a pretty well-educated man for twenty-two years. Having started working when he was eighteen wasn't that bad either, especially after he and Sky had a small scuffle over his other job. Bridge had been away from base for nearly two years, and was heading back today. He had kept his hair short, still wore gloves, but he didn't look exactly like himself.

Bridge took a peek out the window. They were in an armoured vechicle that was heading to the SPD Base in the heart of New Tech City, where Bridge pretty much grew up. He receeded back to the confinds of thecar andclosed his laptop. He'd been writting up a report the whole time, so he hadn't had much time to check out the veiw.

---

Sky was frantically working out the kinks in one of the most recent machines Kat had built. Although on another planet, Kat was always happy to let Sky do the workings on her mechines.

At the age of twenty-five, Sky was still active. He was on Active Duty Call, as the Commander of special attack patern and elite squads, Sky had to keep up with the young kids that were the new Rangers. Before he'd do all his drills with them, he'd take a jog around town, sparr off with one of the early-rising students, and then begin to work on Kat's mechines.

Today was no different, except that Sky's long-time friend was coming back. Sky looked up at the clock. He snatched up his glasses and slipped them on. He looked down at the mechine and up at the clock. With a shrug, he went back to his work, setting his glasses on the side.

Jack stood just outside the door, hiding. Jack still hadn't changed much. He was still arrogant and somewhat mistrustful. Bridge was coming today, and Sky didn't seem to care all that much. But then again, Sky wasworking on the latest technology; a hyper regenerator that was able to transfer any hydro power into hyper space feilds,so Sky had a reason not to want to go see Bridge, but still...

"Jack, I'm not stupid, I know you're there." Sky turned around. He did look different, with slightly longer hair and his eyes seeming to become a darker blue hue in the light. "Is there something I can help you with, Commander Landors?"

Jack made a face. "What's with that? I told you, we are _still_ buds, even if you don't wanna be, you are."

"Can I help you?" Sky playfuly folded his arms. As of recent, Jack and Z had been married, meaning Z would probably kill Sky if she knew that Sky still teased Jack over his fumbles in the past.

"Yeah. Bridge _REALLY_ wants to see you. He's been calling for the past half-hour and he's almost here. Don't you wanna go see him?"

"I'll crunch it in between now and tomorrow." Sky waved his hand in a joking manor. Ever since Grumm's defeat, Sky had loosened up enough to be considered a kinda funny teacher of Sparring Practices and the dude who always makes the Commander laugh.

Jack couldn't help it, he just burst out laughing, like he'd never laughed before. "SKY!"

"I didn't say I'd miss it. I want to see if he'd been telling the truth and really has got a better psych power." Sky tapped his temple. "I'll let him find me. Besides, he's been gone for a little over two years, let's cut him some slack, Jack."

"All right."

---

Jack was there to welcome Bridge back, as were Z and Syd. Sky wasn't there, neither was Cruger. Bridge already knew Kat was on another planet, but he wasn't all to sure he knew which one. Bridge shook Jack's hand, a smile creasing his face. He felt welcome again, like he'd lived here and just gone away for the weekend.

He also felt like it was back at the begining, back fourteen years to the begining. Back when Dru picked on him, and Sky came along. He was certain he knew where to find that sheild-weilder. He said his hellos and headed off to find the other Ranger.

It took him only minutes to find Sky. Usually, Sky would just wave off Bridge, saying he had work to do, but Bridge never usually left Sky alone, he kinda just kept poking Sky until he noticed. Bridge snuck up behind him and knocked Sky up-side the head.

Sky turned around and put his hand over Bridge's face and pushed him back slightly. They laughed a little as Sky rubbed the side of his head, pretending he was dying from it. "Bridge Carson... What a suprise you'd knock me on the head." Sky shook his head slightly. "Gee, two years of feild work dose mercy on you."

"Well, yeah." Bridge held up his gloved hand. He pulled the glove off and held his exposed hand out to Sky. "Check this out." He grabbed Sky's hand with his own and just held it.

Sky was half expecting Bridge's memories to protrude on his mind and half expecting Bridge to kinda fall back. Neither happened, Sky just felt a soft happiness from Bridge, but nothing more. He stared at the contact. "So, it's working, huh? Kat was right about it." Sky stood up and looked at Bridge's wrist. Kat had built a special mechine for Bridge. It would slowly teach him how to control his psychic senses so he wouldn't make a huge hole when he touched someone. Of course, she couldn't reach Bridge, so Sky sent it to Bridge, who greatfully accepted it.

"I thought it might not've worked. You see, it's because I thought that with all my weirded out psychotic dreams and weird senses and creepy noises and all that noise would probably never be blocked out from me because of my enourmus stash of memories and all that stuff, but then agin, there's no way this little, itty-bitty thing was gonna control that, but then, I might be stuck with all that built up noise and preasure that I might explode, so I didn't know, it was worth while, but I was pretty scared of using it to much and persay-mph!"

Sky had put a piese of cloth in Bridge's open mouth. "I know. You said all of that in the e-mail you sent me." Sky held it there with his hand, unable to move it, ashe wasn't ready to hear Bridge babble on just yet. "So, other than that, how ya been?" Sky asked, letting go of Bridge's restraint and seating himself down agian.

"Could be better, could be worse." Bridge took a seat.

---

For almost two hours, the duo talked about everything, from Z and Jack's wedding to Crugger and Kat's first date. When they did emerge from Sky's lab, they were almost hailed when Boom and some other cadets ran over to welcome Bridge back. Sky shrugged as he watched them drag Bridge away. He went a different way, back to the Common Room. He passed the doors to other Common Rooms, turned left, down the halls and left again. There, at the end of the hall, was the room he and Bridge had shared their first year of academey training.

Bridge suddenly rammed into Sky, gently nudging him to the right. "Dude." Bridge was kinda laughing and breathing, so he choked. He did manage to catch his breath before speaking. "I thought you'd go find the old room. Is it uninhabbited?"

"No." Sky turned away and left.

Bridge ran after him. "Hey! Sky! Sky, wait up! SKY!" Bridge stopped Sky but grabbing his shirt collar. Sky jerked to a halt and waited for Bridge. "Why do you suddenly seem like Mr. Scrooge?"

"I just don't like being in that hall anymore." Sky shoved Bridge's arm away. "It's something that happened last year. It wasn't very pretty and I don't think anyone can make me forget." He turned on his heel and marched off, not looking back when his name was called, not turning around to wave to his friend, not even halting his stride.

Bridge slumped to the ground, his hand still out there. His best friend had a traumatizing memory in this hall? Just over a year ago? He wouldn't talk about it either. Bridge had a sudden spark. With lightning fast speed, he caught up with Sky and grabbed his arm as he sped past. He knew a way to bribe it out of Sky, and he was gonna get it, no matter what.

---

Bridge had dragged Sky to the exact spot out in the enterance where they'd crashed heads when Sky had watched Dru leave. This was the place that Sky still felt bad for knocking Bridge on the noggin. They had an argument, which Bridge won, and had suddenly started laughing. Bridge also wanted Sky to remember that. It was an argumen that sparked a friendship, and Sky was letting it slip away.

"Bridge, wha-"

"Sky!" Bridge knocked him on the head again. "Sky, holding a secret isn't keeping a best friends honor!" Bridge hit him again. "You and I made a promise never to keep secrets. Not spill it!" He hit Sky one last time on the shoulder.

"It was one of the criminals we captured." Sky looked up at the cloudless, endless sky above. "He tricked me into thinking he had changed himself for the better. Which I believed. I let him loose, but told him not to leave base until we were sure he wasn't evil, or worse than that." Sky sat down on the bench nearby. Bridge stood before him. "He was about to kill one of the younger cadets, and I was there. I watched the little eight-year-old boy scream in fear and I threw him aside, trying to save the cadet." Sky ran a hand over his right arm. "I missed a fatal blow by a lucky chance. If the cadet got away, I didn't see. All I knew was that this alien wasn't good anymore, and I was also being tricked. What angered me, though, was the fact that I let him go in the first place. When ever I pass that hall, I still hear the boy's crys for help and how I just stood there watching him for a while. It makes me feel like I shouldn't even be here."

Bridge's foot came up and he but the bottom of his shoe on Sky's chest. "Hey! No more joy-ridding regret." Bridge put his foot down again and sat down next to Sky. "If you weren't brave enough to stand up to the past, then that means that you didn't have any strength the way I knew you. Because you stood up to Dru, I didn't end up like Boom, all washed up." Bridge gave Sky his goofy grin and stood up again. "If you were a chicken, why'd you become a Ranger! If you were a chicken, why're you here today! Hm!" Bridge shook Sky's shoulders. "You were a RANGER, you know, fighting evil to win over a victory, or to save something... Sky, to be a Ranger is to have courage... Even if you were only second in comand... And I was three..."

Sky hit Bridge on the head. "Bridge?"

"Hm?"

"I've been meaning to ask you..."

"Ask me...?"

"Why'd you say I like Weasly Collins?"

"No, I said why. Do. You. Look. Like. Him?"

"Because he was my fosterfather... and uncle."

"And who was your dad? OUCH! Hey!"

Sky had pinched Bridge's nose. "That's for me to know, and you to find out, psycho."

* * *

**a/n**: sorry for the long one-shot, but i kinda thought it would be fun. R&R plz!


End file.
